DND Investigating use of computers to change Wikipedia Entry of Rehtaeh Parsons

[cupper]

Father of Rehtaeh Parsons says he knows who is behind changes to his late daughter's Wikipedia page

http://www.cbc.ca/asithappens/features/2015/02/09/father-of-rehteah-parsons-thinks-he-knows-who-used-a-dnd-computer-to-change-his-daughters-wikipedia/

Rehtaeh Parsons' father, Glen Canning, says he has a pretty good idea who has been using computers at the Department of National Defence to make changes to his late daughter's Wikipedia entry, altering references that indicate she was allegedly sexually assaulted and that she committed suicide.

"I believe it's a relative of one of the boys charged in her case," Canning tells As it Happens host Carol Off in an interview.

Canning says he first alerted military police last October when he noticed someone with an IP address belonging to a military computer was making malicious comments about his daughter on his own blog. And then last month, he noticed the same IP address making changes to Wikipedia.

The Ottawa Citizen reported that DND is investigating its personnel in response to information that its computers appear to be linked to the Wikipedia edits. Canning says they're also investigating the comments made in October. "I heard from [DND] in the last couple of weeks to say that they're moving ahead on this...and they're hoping to have some more information for me soon." 

Seventeen-year-old Rehtaeh Parsons was taken off life support in April 2013 and died, just days after she hanged herself. Her parents say she was sexually assaulted at a party, and was tormented by classmates after a photo of the incident was distributed online.   

In late January, someone using a computer at DND even changed a quote from Canning that read: "The two boys involved in taking and posing for the photograph stated Rehtaeh was throwing up when they had sex with her. That is not called consensual sex. That is called rape." The quote was edited to read "that is called consensual sex."

Canning tells As It Happens, "I don't cope with it very well. A lot of the times I'm very angry. It's extremely difficult...You spend so much time walking around with your hands up trying to block punches that you just get tired of it." 

"What's shocking to me would be that someone is so arrogant ... to think they would be able to do something like this and get away with it. Their name is going to be known across Canada very soon...Why would you post lies, you know are not true?"

Canning is confident that DND will find out who is making the erroneous changes from a government IP address, "I'm ex-military. I was 25 years in the Navy. So I know exactly what the policy is for using DND computers and it's a very strict policy. I've seen what happens to people who violate it. It's not a good thing."

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Oh.  Interesting. 

 

[DAA]

Oh.  Interesting.

Come on now!  I am sick of reading this statement every morning when I log-on!

 

[cupper]

Glen Canning seems to have an axe to grind from what I've read following this case. Not that I would blame him considering what happened to his daughter.

But some of his more recent actions have a taint of hypocrisy about them.

But reviewing what EITS's link to DND Internet use policies, you would be hard pressed to find an applicable violation. The only one that comes close falls under prohibited use

Prohibited Use
4.8 Prohibited use is any use of a DND and CAF information system that:

is contrary to the Criminal Code, any other federal statute or regulation, or a provincial statute or regulation, including any non-criminal statute or regulation;
has or could reasonably have caused harm to others;
is an intentional act that has or could reasonably have jeopardized the integrity of a DND and CAF information system; or
is otherwise an unlawful activity.

or possibly

4.9 An unlawful activity includes any use of a DND and CAF information system that could result in court proceedings or expose an authorized user or the federal Crown to civil liability.

But one would be hard pressed to prove harm. A case could be made, but …. :dunno:

 

[Tibbson]

Criminal Code of Canada Sec 430 1.1 perhaps?

 

[dapaterson]

Criminal Code of Canada Sec 430 1.1 perhaps?

The nature of Wikipedia likely would defeat a charge under 430 (1.1), as the data continues to exist and continues to be accessible.

http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/section-430.html

 

[Tibbson]

The nature of Wikipedia likely would defeat a charge under 430 (1.1), as the data continues to exist and continues to be accessible.

http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/section-430.html

I'm not convinced it would.  Not that I have to be convinced, it's up to a court.  I'd point towards words in the charge such as "altered", "obstructs" and/or "interferes".  Just my  :2c:

 

[Occam]

I think you'd have far better success under the Unauthorized Use section of the DAOD, which includes "any use that would reflect discredit upon the DND and the CAF".

 

[Tibbson]

Perhaps but I'd venture that the civilian nexus would indicate the charge would be better served downtown.  A charge under DAODs would be minor enough that it may not satisfy the interests of justice.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Perhaps but I'd venture that the civilian nexus would indicate the charge would be better served downtown.  A charge under DAODs would be minor enough that it may not satisfy the interests of justice.

Not only that, but as the old saying goes "justice does not only need to be done, it needs to appear to be done".  If it was handled outside you would also have the impression that the military is not trying to sweep things under a mat.  That would also have the benefit of closing down any objections from the usual sources that love raise them at the drop of a hat.

 

[my72jeep]

Not only that, but as the old saying goes "justice does not only need to be done, it needs to appear to be done".  If it was handled outside you would also have the impression that the military is not trying to sweep things under a mat.  That would also have the benefit of closing down any objections from the usual sources that love raise them at the drop of a hat.

Do you meen the NDP,Liberals,or the CBC?

 

[captloadie]

Regardless of whether the member breached the DOAD, would you want to have an individual in our organization that has the mindset required to continually make adjustments to this Wikipedia entry in the manner he/she has? This is about a teenage girl who took her own life due to being bullied. Bullied due to naked pictures of her that were taken of her and then passed around. The individual has been attempting to lay the blame on this poor girl for what happened to her.

 

[ModlrMike]

We're presuming a uniform member is the culprit?

 

[TCM621]

Also editing the entry to say "consensual sex" rather than rape is backed up by the trial. Note none of the boy's were charged or convicted of rape. As a father, I get it. He is angry and wants vengeance but based on that article a crime has not been committed.

 

[PMedMoe]

We're presuming a uniform member is the culprit?

I wouldn't.... 

Googling the IP address in question brings up locations in Ottawa (guess it depends on how accurate their geolocation is) and one site says it's in Victoria, BC.  :dunno:

 

[MilEME09]

I wouldn't.... 

Googling the IP address in question brings up locations in Ottawa (guess it depends on how accurate their geolocation is) and one site says it's in Victoria, BC.  :dunno:

Yeap really all we know is a DND network, maybe the location of the server, we don't know if it was a uniformed member, or a civilian member of DND. Either way if said person was found im sure they have a few power points on proper use of work computers coming their way.

 

[George Wallace]

Yeap really all we know is a DND network, maybe the location of the server, we don't know if it was a uniformed member, or a civilian member of DND. Either way if said person was found im sure they have a few power points on proper use of work computers coming their way.

Don't worry.  There are ways to track the person(s) down.  It has been done in the past.  It is likely even easier today.

 

[Occam]

I wouldn't.... 

Googling the IP address in question brings up locations in Ottawa (guess it depends on how accurate their geolocation is) and one site says it's in Victoria, BC.  :dunno:

The two IP addresses in question (on 26 and 29 January) are among the addresses of the DND proxy servers in Ottawa.  Internet traffic for most (all?) of the DWAN goes through these proxy servers.  Media sites are assuming that every DWAN computer gets its own external IP address, which is false - they go through a proxy server.  Finding out which internal IP address accessed the external site via the proxy servers is very easy, as those requests would be logged (or at least they should be...).

 

[OldSolduer]

Question: If the computer is tracked down, can the user be indentified?


I would assume the answer is yes....

 

[George Wallace]

Question: If the computer is tracked down, can the user be indentified?


I would assume the answer is yes....

Yes.  Indeedie.  Everyone has to logon using their name and Password, etc. for a reason.

The DWAN administrators are fairly good at what they do.  I had a colleague mistakenly put a memory stick, not authorized on the network, into her computer and there was an Administrator in the office within five minutes.  I am sure that there will be a forensic investigation and the culprit(s) will be found.  It may take some time, but I am confident that it will happen.